Baby strollers are how much?!

[StormRichards]

It is fine to buy pretty much any baby stuff used but you should never buy a used car seat. It is impossible to tell by looking if it is safe to use.

Definitely not encouraging anyone to ignore the risks, but for anyone considering this it my be worth looking into whether there is a place to take a used car seat to have it inspected. I have seen stories in my area for local police departments doing a safety check.

[disneysteve]

Definitely not encouraging anyone to ignore the risks, but for anyone considering this it my be worth looking into whether there is a place to take a used car seat to have it inspected. I have seen stories in my area for local police departments doing a safety check.

I could be mistaken but I think what the police typically do is make sure that your car seat is properly installed. I can't imagine they would take the liability risk of telling you that a car seat was safe to use. As I said, a car seat could have wear or damage that is not visible. If it was in a car involved in an accident, for example, it might look fine but not be safe to use.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I've bought quite a few strollers and had quite a few used and new. I had a single and double bob strollers revolution. I bought both new. I also still have the single. I also had an uppa baby and bugaboo. Sigh. Like I said on another post I am a definite spender on this forum.

But I loved and love my bobs. Way better than the others. I bought those new and the other used and sold them on craigslist. I also bought very expensive diaper bags which were gifted new and used. I found that my needs changed. So buying some of them used i was able to resell them no problem.

I realized that for kid stuff even expensive stuff sometimes can be resold pretty well. I tried out the baby bjorn bouncer for a bit and resold it for almost the same price new.

The only thing I don't buy used is car seats. And I'm a fanatic. So my kids in both cars at ages 4 and 6 are still in britax frontiers because of the highest seated shoulder height for 5 point harnass. They are ridiculously expensive but seriously you use them daily for for 6 years? I had a sunshine kids but they are smaller than the frontier.

[StormRichards]

I could be mistaken but I think what the police typically do is make sure that your car seat is properly installed. I can't imagine they would take the liability risk of telling you that a car seat was safe to use. As I said, a car seat could have wear or damage that is not visible. If it was in a car involved in an accident, for example, it might look fine but not be safe to use.

Here is a helpful link.

Find a child car seat inspection station nearest you. Certified technicians will inspect your child car seat, in most cases, free of charge - and show you how to correctly install and use it.

https://www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm

[FLA]

back in the 90s the pediatrician was preaching no used car seats, the ob-gyn had a pamphlet on it, it was in all the parenting magazines, I just wouldn't take that chance. Same with used bike helmets. you just don't know no matter how honest the seller seems.

maybe you can sell the used car seats for more than you paid and put the money towards new ones

[GoodSteward]

just curious... do the used car seats have an expiry date on the label?

I recall reading that after a while a car seat should not be used any longer; assuming due to wear and tear as well as safety standards always changing.

Yes, they do expire. The car seat has a 2015 manufacturer date, but I don't have it yet to know for sure when it expires. Probably another 4 or 5 years.

It is fine to buy pretty much any baby stuff used but you should never buy a used car seat. It is impossible to tell by looking if it is safe to use. It could have damage from an auto accident that weakens the structure but isn't visible. It isn't worth taking a chance. Buy car seats new.

Interesting. I've had four kids now, my wife had has college classes on all this working a at daycare, and I've never heard of this(neither has she). It makes sense, but unless it is cracked how could it be at risk if it is relatively new? I do know you have to be careful not to use it past its expiry date, as plastic does get brittle with age.

According to the ad the car seat and stroller was barely used. Looking at their other items they had other strollers and baby stuff for sale. As in many more strollers. Not sure if they resold to make money on eBay, or if they tried a bunch out and sold what they didn't like.

[StormRichards]

Interesting. I've had four kids now, my wife had has college classes on all this working a at daycare, and I've never heard of this(neither has she). It makes sense, but unless it is cracked how could it be at risk if it is relatively new? I do know you have to be careful not to use it past its expiry date, as plastic does get brittle with age.

We only have one child and received a brand new car seat at our baby shower, so I never was in a position where I needed to decide new vs used. That being said, I have seen local news stories for many years about places to get car seats inspected. I wouldn't hesitate to use a used car seat that was inspected by someone certified to do so.

[disneysteve]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a used car seat that was inspected by someone certified to do so.

There are loads of ways to save money on the costs of raising a child. Their safety while in my car is not the place I'd look to save a few bucks. Just my opinion. I no longer have a stake in this race as our daughter is 21. But if and when she has kids of her own, you can be damn sure I won't allow her to put our grandchildren in used car seats. Used stroller, used crib, used toys, used clothing, sure. But not a used car seat.

[StormRichards]

There are loads of ways to save money on the costs of raising a child. Their safety while in my car is not the place I'd look to save a few bucks. Just my opinion. I no longer have a stake in this race as our daughter is 21. But if and when she has kids of her own, you can be damn sure I won't allow her to put our grandchildren in used car seats. Used stroller, used crib, used toys, used clothing, sure. But not a used car seat.

Carseat.org has a SEVENTEEN page list of recalls related to child restraints.

http://www.carseat.org/Recalls/179NP.pdf

You have no way of knowing if that brand new car seat you are buying is going to be the next addition to that list.

My child's safety has always been my number one priority, and always will be. Suggesting that a car seat inspected by someone certified is unsafe is ridiculous in my opinion.

[GoodSteward]

There are loads of ways to save money on the costs of raising a child. Their safety while in my car is not the place I'd look to save a few bucks. Just my opinion. I no longer have a stake in this race as our daughter is 21. But if and when she has kids of her own, you can be damn sure I won't allow her to put our grandchildren in used car seats. Used stroller, used crib, used toys, used clothing, sure. But not a used car seat.

Of all the literature I've seen, all the safety information the state provides, and even the social services person that had to inspect all seats at the daycare my wife worked at used for transporting in the vans they owned(and they were picky), I can't recall ever being notified of a used car seat being a potential threat(other than being outdated). Since you are very adamant about this, I'm curious what created the refusal you have for them. Have you heard of injury due to a used car seat, or seen an article where the used car seat was the blame for harm or death to a child, and it was verified the seat wasn't outdated?

Since car seats are plastic, I would imagine a used car seat that was not safe would either have cracks in it, or would have discolored marks on it where the plastic was stressed. Normal heat, cold, and use do stress it which is why there is a date on it. If the car seat was getting close to the expiration date that would be more cause for concern, because it is getting into a period where it is known to break down.

To that point, all of our main car seats were bought new, or we knew the history of them. I prefer to buy new, or nearly new higher end stuff mainly for comfort and support. You try sitting on a plastic seat with just a fabric top for hours and see how you feel when you get out. Booster seats are a terrible design, they need better support.

This will be the first one we are not fully aware of the history, but it is also a Britax B safe 35, one of the highest if not the highest rated car seats for safety on the market.

[scfr]

Of all the literature I've seen, all the safety information the state provides, and even the social services person that had to inspect all seats at the daycare my wife worked at used for transporting in the vans they owned(and they were picky), I can't recall ever being notified of a used car seat being a potential threat(other than being outdated).

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics: "Avoid used seats if you don't know the seat's history."

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

I think this used to be more commonly known. I remember about 12 years ago when my young niece visited for a week I borrowed a car seat from a neighbor. Even though I didn't have children, I knew the advice about not buying a used car seat. (Maybe I heard it on the consumer segment of a news show?) I felt a teensy bit uncomfortable about not going out and buying a new one for my niece to use for the week she was to stay with us, but I also trusted that my neighbor would not have purchased an unsafe seat or loaned one to me if it had a bad history.

[GoodSteward]

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics: "Avoid used seats if you don't know the seat's history."

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

I think this used to be more commonly known. I remember about 12 years ago when my young niece visited for a week I borrowed a car seat from a neighbor. Even though I didn't have children, I knew the advice about not buying a used car seat. (Maybe I heard it on the consumer segment of a news show?) I felt a teensy bit uncomfortable about not going out and buying a new one for my niece to use for the week she was to stay with us, but I also trusted that my neighbor would not have purchased an unsafe seat or loaned one to me if it had a bad history.

Interesting. I suppose I came along when they were not pushing it so hard. I will inquire about the history of the car seat to be sure.

[FLA]

I'm just so shocked that anyone would use a used carseat unless it's from someone you know very well. It must be different now, but in the 90s that advice was everywhere, MDs, Consumer Reports, parenting magazines. I just don't get what is different now. And I did those car seat visits where the police make sure the seat is properly installed. And you know what? They handed me a pamphlet about used car seats and asked if ours were new! I don't read parenting magazines anymore, maybe the standards have lightened but I doubt it.

[disneysteve]

A quick visit to our old friend Google:

From babycenter.com:

That safety seat you scored at a garage sale for a fraction of its original price may seem like a bargain, but it could cost your child his life. The same goes for that older-model seat your sister gave you after her child outgrew it.

Not only are used seats unlikely to come with the manufacturer's instructions (vital for correct installation), but they could be missing important parts, have been involved in an accident (even unseen damage can affect the seat's functioning), fall short of current safety standards, or have been recalled due to faulty design. Moreover, plastic gets brittle as it gets older, so a seat that's too old could break in a crash.

From thecarseatlady.wordpress.com:

When in doubt, don’t borrow, buy, or sell a used car seat – it’s just not worth the risk.

From Consumer Reports:

Consumer Reports tests cribs, strollers, and car seats and recommends many affordable models. All of these items are better bought new.

And that is just the first 3 results.

To be fair, each of those sites goes on to list what to watch out for if you do decide to get a used car seat, but the lead advice is to just not do it.

Honestly, I'm surprised this is even a discussion. The car seat is probably the single most vital piece of baby equipment you will ever buy. It just isn't the place to cheap out. If you find that advice "ridiculous", we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[StormRichards]

Honestly, I'm surprised this is even a discussion. The car seat is probably the single most vital piece of baby equipment you will ever buy. It just isn't the place to cheap out. If you find that advice "ridiculous", we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Since the last sentence is a passive aggressive response to me, I will correct your misinterpretation as to what is ridiculous. I did not suggest your advice to not use a used car seat is ridiculous. I stated that your suggestion that a used car seat INSPECTED BY SOMEONE CERTIFIED is unsafe is ridiculous. There is a difference.